We can consider conjunctions from three aspects.1. FormConjunctions have three basic forms:Single Word, for example: and, but, because, althoughCompound (often ending with as or that), for example: provided that, as long as, in order thatCorrelative (surrounding an adverb or adjective), for example: so...that

2. FunctionConjunctions have two basic functions or "jobs":Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two parts of a sentence that are grammatically equal. The two parts may be single words or clauses, for example:- Jack and Jill went up the hill.- The water was warm, but I didn't go swimming.Subordinating conjunctions are used to join a subordinate dependent clause to a main clause, for example:- I went swimming although it was cold.

3. PositionCoordinating conjunctions always come between the words or clauses that they join.Subordinating conjunctions usually come at the beginning of the subordinate clause.

Friday, April 10, 2009

An idiom is a phrase or expression with a meaning different from the meanings of the individual words.Below are some examples and their meanings:

as easy as pie: very easy."I thought you said this was a difficult problem. It isn't. In fact, it's as easy as pie."

at the eleventh hour: at the last minute; almost too late."Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't late.

beat around the bush: evade an issue; avoid giving a direct answer."Quit beating around the bush! If you don't want to go with me, just tell me!"

beat one's brains out: try very hard to understand or do something."Can you help me with this problem? I've been beating my brains out with it,but I just can't solve it."burn the midnight oil: study/work all night or until very, very late at night."I'm not ready for the test tomorrow. I guess I'll have to burn the midnight oil."

Monday, December 1, 2008

Some people do have problems with prepositions. Do we say 'on the table' or 'at the table'. Actually both are correct, depending on the situation.For example:Ali is sitting at the table in the restaurant.Lily puts a glass of water on the table.

The information below shows you how to use the prepositions 'on', 'in', and 'at' in different contexts.We are sometimes not sure as when we should use 'at', or 'in' or 'on' as they all sound correct to us.

1. Transportations

I went to Vancouver in my car. I went downtown on the bus.We travelled to Toronto on the train.

2. Time

She arrived in February.I was born in 1988.I'll be home in three days. The party is on Thursday.He left on the weekend. I'll call you at 7.30.

3. Communications

I spoke to him on the telephone yesterday.I read about it on the Internet.I heard the news on the radio.

The past continuous tense (also called the past progressive tense) is commonly used in English for actions which were going on (had not finished) at a particular time in the past. The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment.

We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the background situation at the moment when the action begins. Often, the story starts with the past continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense.

How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?The structure of the past continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb BE + main verb was base + ing were

Examples :

Michael was washing his car when his father phoned him.Suzie was reading a book when Melissa came to her house.

How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment.When we use the past continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about.

Look at these examples:I was working at 10pm last night. They were not playing football at 9am this morning. What were you doing when he arrived? We were having dinner when it started to rain.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Countable NounsA countable noun is a noun with both a singular and a plural form, and it names anything or anyone that you can count. Countable noun can be made plural and we can attach it to a plural verb in a sentence. Countable nouns are the opposite of uncountable nouns and collective nouns.

Look at the following sentences.

We painted the table red and the chairs blue. The oak tree lost three branches in the hurricane. Over the course of twenty-seven years, Martha Ballad delivered just over eight hundred babies.

Uncountable NounsAn uncountable noun or mass noun is a noun which does not have a plural form, and which refers to something that you could or would not usually count. An uncountable noun always takes a singular verb in a sentence. Uncountable nouns are similar to collective nouns, and are the opposite of countable nouns.

Look at the following sentences. Can you identify the uncountable nouns? The explanations are given below the sentences.

Oxygen is essential to human life. Since "oxygen" is a non-countable noun, it takes the singular verb "is" rather than the plural verb "are."

We decided to sell the furniture rather than take it with use when we moved. You cannot make the noun "furniture" plural.

The furniture is heaped in the middle of the room. Since "furniture" is an uncountable noun, it takes a singular verb, "is heaped."

Plural NounMost nouns change their form to indicate number by adding "-s" or "-es", as illustrated in the following pairs of sentences:

When Matthew was small, he rarely told the truth if he thought he was going to be punished. Since we are moving, we will need many boxes.

There are other nouns which form the plural by changing the last letter before adding "s". Some words ending in "f" form the plural by deleting "f" and adding "ves," and words ending in "y" form the plural by deleting the "y" and adding "ies," as in the following pairs of sentences:

The harbour at Marble Mountain has one wharf. There are several wharves in Halifax Harbour. Warsaw is their favourite city because it reminds them of their courtship. The vacation my grandparents won includes trips to twelve European cities.

Other nouns form the plural irregularly. If English is your first language, you probably know most of these already: when in doubt, consult a good dictionary.

Possessive NounsIn the possessive case, a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it owns or is closely related to something else. Usually, nouns become possessive by adding a combination of an apostrophe and the letter "s."

You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following sentences:

The red suitcase is Cassandra's. The only luggage that was lost was the prime minister's. The miner's face was covered in coal dust.

You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that ends in "s" by adding an apostrophe alone or by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following examples:

The bus's seats are very uncomfortable. The bus' seats are very uncomfortable. The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus's eggs. The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus' eggs.

You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and a "s," as in the following examples:

The children's mittens were scattered on the floor of the porch. Since we have a complex appeal process, a jury's verdict is not always final.

You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does end in "s" by adding an apostrophe:

The concert was interrupted by the dogs' barking, the ducks' quacking, and the babies' squalling. My uncle spent many hours trying to locate the squirrels' nest.

Collective NounsA collective noun is a noun naming a group of things, animals, or persons. You could count the individual members of the group, but you usually think of the group as a whole is generally as one unit. You need to be able to recognise collective nouns in order to maintain subject-verb agreement. A collective noun is similar to a non-countable noun, and is roughly the opposite of a countable noun.

Look at the examples below.

The flock of geese spends most of its time in the pasture. The collective noun "geese" takes the singular verb "spends."